COVID-19 Overview

COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by the novel coronavirus called acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This virus belongs to the corona family of viruses that cause illnesses, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).

The virus’s name comes from the Latin word corona, which means crown or halo because the virus has crown-like spikes on its surface.

Human coronaviruses were first identified in the mid-1960s. There are four main sub-groupings of coronaviruses: alpha, beta, gamma, and delta.

In 2019, a new coronavirus (COVID-19) was identified as the cause of a disease outbreak that originated in China.

It spreads primarily through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

Most people infected with the COVID-19 virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment. However, older people and those with underlying medical problems like cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer are more likely to develop serious illness.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), as of August 2021, there are 203,295,170 cases of COVID-19 globally. So far, more than 4 million people worldwide have died after being infected with the virus.

COVID-19 History

Coronaviruses are not a recent phenomenon. These viruses have been around for a long time. In 1965, specialists at the Common Cold Research Unit in Wiltshire, UK, reported that a boy got infected with a virus B814. They claimed the microorganism as “virtually unrelated to any other known virus of the human respiratory tract.”

In 1966, Dorothy Hamre and John Procknow of the University of Chicago described an infection, which was different from other known respiratory infections.

In 1968, eight researchers proposed that the newly isolated human viruses belong to a new category known as coronaviruses. These viruses have “characteristic fringe of projections, which are rounded or petal shaped…recalling the solar corona.”

In 2003, a group of researchers reported that the outbreak of a new human coronavirus caused severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in late 2002 in southern China.

In 2004, researchers at Erasmus Medical Center in the Netherlands isolated a coronavirus from a child with pneumonia.

In 2005, a group of researchers at the University of Hong Kong reported another coronavirus, HKU1, in samples from two patients with pneumonia.

In 2012, a group of researchers at Erasmus Medical Center discovered a new coronavirus that they named MERS-CoV. They isolated the virus from a man in Saudi Arabia with pneumonia and kidney failure.

In December 2019, a local outbreak of pneumonia, from an unknown origin, was detected in Wuhan (China). It quickly became identified as a new coronavirus outbreak that was named COVID-19, now known as SARS-CoV-2.

In 2020, a team of researchers in China discovered that the virus that caused this outbreak originated in bats and was later transmitted to humans.

As of Feb 17, 2020, the outbreak has spread to every province of mainland China. It has also spread to 27 other countries and regions, and there are over 70.000 confirmed cases of COVID-19.

Compared with the SARS-CoV that caused an outbreak of SARS in 2003, SARS-CoV-2 has a stronger transmission capacity and higher mortality rate. The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 reached over 63,000,000 and over 1.5 million deaths worldwide as of the end of November 2020, resulting in a fatality rate of approximately 2.5%.

Implementing a lockdown is the best way to stop the spread of the infection. However, governments around the world believe that a lockdown must be utilized efficiently, otherwise it will have a painful impact on the economy.

Another option that can stop the spread of the virus is enforcing a limited lockdown. That makes it conceivable to segregate infected regions where the infection flows quickly. It also allows the government to figure out who is infected with the virus transporters rapidly, so they can apply preventative measures and stop the spread of infection.

Still, many governments do not want to consider the option of a total lockdown facing a second outbreak because a lockdown presents very complicated economic challenges.

As of now, there are 100 COVID-19 vaccine candidates in progress, with some of these in the preliminary human stage. The World Health Organization (WHO) is teaming up with researchers, businesses, and worldwide wellbeing associations to speed up the pandemic response through the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator.

The ACT Accelerator is a worldwide collaboration by the WHO, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations (GAVI), and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) founded to accelerate the development, production, and equitable access to COVID-19 tests, treatments, and vaccines.

In 2020, the WHO, GAVI, and CEPI founded an initiative focusing solely on developing a COVID-19 vaccine called COVAX. It advocates for the unbiased access and dissemination of these vaccines to secure individuals in all nations. COVAX will prioritize the individuals who are most at risk of contracting the virus.

COVID-19 Causes

COVID-19 is caused by a virus from the coronavirus family, not a bacterium.

The virus is transmitted through an infected person’s mouth or nose as small liquid particles spread through the air when people cough, sneeze, speak, sing, or breathe heavily near other people.

Laboratory data suggest that patients can be most infectious two days before they develop symptoms and early in their illness.

Patients infected with COVID-19 can also be contagious and spread the virus even if they don’t show symptoms. It is still not very clear how patients can pass the virus onto others. More research is needed in this area.

The reasons COVID-19 may be spreading quickly are listed below:

People can get infected with COVID-19 through direct, indirect, (through contaminated objects or surfaces), or close contact with infected people:

- Direct contact: people might get infected by getting in direct contact with an infected person. This will put you at a higher risk of contracting the virus and getting infected, especially with those who carry the virus but do not show symptoms.

- Indirect contact: people might get infected by touching contaminated objects or surfaces because the virus lives on surfaces and can remain on certain kinds of surfaces for as long as five days.

- Close contact: a contact is considered close when a person remains for at least 15 minutes within 6 feet distance from an infected person. Close contact can easily transmit the virus if infected people cough, sneeze, or speak and spray viral particles from their nose or mouth.

The virus is spreading rapidly among the population because people may not be aware of the symptoms and take the necessary precautions to protect themselves from infection.

COVID-19 Risk Factors

Because of the ever-changing nature of COVID-19, all populations need to take precautionary measures against the virus. However, certain groups of people may be at a higher risk of serious illness, especially those who are/have:

- Vitamin D deficiency: people with vitamin D deficiency are at a higher risk because this deficiency increases the frequency of infection and influences its severity. This is because a vitamin D deficiency weakens the immune system that needs adequate vitamin D to allow the immune cells to function properly.

- Above the age of 60: people who are above the age of 60 may contract the virus more frequently due to their weaker immune system. They also have a higher death rate, especially since they might have more health complications than young people.

- Dark-skinned people: people with darker skin may contract the virus more frequently. They also have a higher death rate from complications of the viral infection. This may be because people with darker skin suffer disproportionately from chronic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

- Autoimmune diseases: people with autoimmune diseases are at a higher risk of being infected with the virus because people with autoimmune diseases have weak immune systems, which increases the frequency of infection.

- Cardiovascular disease: cardiovascular disease seems to be linked with worse outcomes and increased risk of death in patients with COVID-19. This is because COVID-19 may promote the development of cardiovascular disorders, such as myocardial injury, arrhythmias, acute coronary syndrome (ACS), and venous thromboembolism.

COVID-19 Symptoms

The virus might cause complications in people who have chronic diseases, which increases the risk of death. These complications include cytokine storm syndrome, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and cardiovascular disease.

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 include:

-Fever

-Dry cough

-Tiredness

-Drippy nose

-Sneezing

Less common symptoms of COVID-19 include:

-Aches and pains

-Sore throat

-Diarrhea

-Headaches

-Loss of taste or smell

-Rash on the skin or discoloration of fingers or toes

-Conjunctivitis

Serious symptoms include:

-Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath

-Chest pain or pressure

-Loss of speech or movement

-Pneumonia

COVID-19 Complications

Although clinical manifestations of COVID-19 are dominated by respiratory symptoms, some patients do get severe cardiovascular damage. In addition, some patients with underlying cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) might have an increased risk of death.

Some of the complications associated with COVID-19 include:

- Cytokine storm syndrome: this syndrome occurs because of the immune system’s excessive response to the virus. The body produces cytokines upon encountering a pathogen. Although cytokines are an important part of the body’s immune response, if the body continues to produce cytokines in large amounts, they can do more harm than good because they lead to increased inflammation.

Doctors found that COVID-19 patients had an elevated level of cytokines, which triggers the hyper-inflammation involved in the pathogenesis of COVID-19.

- Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS): COVID-19 is highly infectious and can lead to fatal complications, especially acute respiratory distress syndrome. COVID-19 mainly affects the respiratory system with minor damage to other organs. People who have respiratory problems are more prone to health complications and may be at a higher risk of death.

Heart damage: COVID-19 may promote the development of cardiovascular disorders, such as myocardial injury, arrhythmias, acute coronary syndrome (ACS), and venous thromboembolism. This can lead to serious health complications and even death for people with heart diseases.

COVID-19 Vs Flu

Coronavirus and influenza have a lot of similarities and might express common symptoms, which makes it difficult to distinguish between the two sometimes. Yet, there are many differences between them. COVID-19 remains also much more lethal than the flu.

Below is a detailed comparison of COVID-19 and the flu, which covers the similarities and differences between the two illnesses.

A- Difference in Symptoms

Some of the symptoms of the flu and COVID-19 are similar, so it may be hard to tell the difference between them based on symptoms alone. People need to get tested to help confirm a diagnosis.

The table below compares the symptoms of COVID-19 and Flu:

The table below compares different factors between COVID-19 and flu:

B- Long-term Effects

COVID-19 long-term effects:

The long-term effects of COVID-19 are still not completely identified. Most people who get infected with the COVID-19 virus recovered within a few weeks.

However, some people who experienced mild symptoms continue to show symptoms for a longer period of time, especially if they are old or have chronic diseases.

This is because COVID-19 affects the lungs and can damage many other organs in the body. This increases the risk of long-term effects on health. Some of the organs that might be affected include the heart, brain, and lungs.

COVID-19 might also cause blood vessel problems, blood clots that lead to a heart attack, problems with mood, and fatigue.

Flu long-term effects:

People usually recover from the flu after almost seven days of being infected. However, some might have long-term effects since flu might cause heart attacks, strokes, and other secondary illnesses like pneumonia.

The flu might also affect cholesterol levels that can remain high, even after the patient fully recovers from the flu. Some people might still feel fatigue, even after recovery, and some elderly people reported muscle loss in addition to fatigue. Elderly people are most likely to experience health problems after they recover from the flu.

C- Death rate:

Both COVID-19 and influenza are relatively low-risk infections because they are not considered dangerous to the vast majority of the population. Nevertheless, they can cause serious complications for older populations, and people who have weak immunity or chronic diseases. Both infections can even lead to death in some rare cases.

According to the numbers released by the World Health Organization (WHO), COVID-19 appears to be much more dangerous than influenza, with a death rate almost 25 times higher.

Regarding this matter, several experts are concerned that the medical sector is inflating the number of COVID-19 death cases to impose vaccination and obtain financial benefits from the World Health Organization (WHO). To learn more about this, you can check our debatable topic section about COVID-19 vaccine.

The table below draws a comparison between COVID-19 and influenza death rates in the USA. Influenza numbers show all the cases during the season 2018-2019.  The COVID-19 numbers list all the cases up until the 29^th of October.

Source: WHO for COVID-19, and CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

D- How Infection Occurs

People can contract both diseases through direct or indirect contact or by touching infected surfaces. Both COVID-19 and influenza can be transmissible if people are within 6 feet of an infected person. Both can also be contagious even if the patient doesn’t show symptoms or does not have a fever.

COVID-19 and the flu can also spread from person to person or between people who are in close contact with one another. These two illnesses are contracted mainly when people with the illness cough, sneeze or talk, and viral droplets spread through the air. These droplets can either land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or are inhaled into the lungs.

COVID-19 Diagnosis

There are two types of tests for COVID-19: the viral test and the antibody test. A viral test indicates if an individual has a current infection. An antibody test shows if an individual had a past infection.

- Viral test: A viral test for COVID-19 includes inserting a 6-inch long swab (like a long Q-Tip) into the pit between the nose and mouth (nasopharyngeal swab) for 15 seconds and rotating it several times. The swabbing is then repeated on the opposite side of the nose to make sure enough material is collected. This test shows whether an individual is currently infected with the virus.

If an individual tests negative for COVID-19, it could mean that the person does not have the virus at the time of inspection, but it doesn’t mean that the individual might not get infected and become sick later. People might be exposed to COVID-19 after they get tested and then can get infected.

If an individual develops symptoms, later on, he or she needs to do another nasopharyngeal swab to confirm a COVID-19 diagnosis. People who develop severe symptoms remain infectious for a longer period.

Regardless of whether a person tests positive or negative for COVID-19, people need to take preventive measures to protect others from getting infected.

- Antibody test: this test detects if your body contains antibodies to a virus, indicating whether you have been previously infected by the COVID-19 virus or any virus from the same coronavirus family.

It usually takes 1-3 weeks after infection for the body to make antibodies. These are proteins that fight off infections and can help provide you with immunity against being infected with COVID-19 again.

However, it is not clear yet how much protection these antibodies can provide or how long they may last. Some cases of reinfection have been reported, but these remain rare.

Natural Treatments for COVID-19

While there are no confirmed natural remedies yet to treat coronavirus, there are some natural remedies that can boost the immune system to allow the body to better fight this infection. Click on natural treatments for COVID-19 to find a detailed list of all the natural solutions to treat COVID-19, including various natural therapies, diet programs, alternative medicine, vitamins, supplements, herbal medicine, and home remedies.

You can also visit the COVID-19 Prevention Center to check all the information on how to prevent it, including the different recommendations to follow and what you should avoid.

Some of those natural remedies for COVID-19 include:

- Healthy diet: maintaining a diet rich in non-starchy vegetables, fruits, and lean proteins is critical for the immune system to function optimally. Strengthening the immune system is necessary to fight the virus.

- Plants and herbs: the plant Artemisia annua (sweet wormwood) contains a bioactive compound, sterol, which shows virus inhibitory potential. Other plants, such as Astragalus and Atractylodes contain bioactive compounds that work against the viral proteins. These plants are commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine as they help mitigate the effects of the disease.

- Special therapies: some natural therapies, such as apitherapy (bee venom therapy) and acupuncture, can help boost the immune system and allow the body to better fight viruses.

- Supplements and vitamins: some supplements such as vitamin D, Vitamin C, and Zinc can reduce the severity of COVID-19 symptoms because they support the immune system. They also play a key role in improving respiratory health and may significantly reduce the mortality rate of COVID-19.

Medical Treatment for COVID-19

At this time, there are no specific medications for COVID-19. However, many ongoing clinical trials are evaluating potential treatments.

Remdesivir is an antiviral medication that is given to infected people under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to treat COVID-19. However, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved any medication to treat COVID-19.

Currently, vaccine developers, researchers, and manufacturers are working on the development of a vaccine to prevent COVID-19. Moderna and Pfizer recently announced that their coronavirus vaccine has shown to be 95% effective in trials.